Projectile.



W. S. CRANE.

.PROJECTILE.

APPucAloN man 11111.12. 191s.

. Patented mm1/1,1916.

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WILLIM S. CRANE, OF RANDOLPH, VERMONT.

rnoJEoTILE.

` Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Application led January 12, 1916. Serial'No. 71,701.

i To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. CRANE, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Randolph, in the countyof Orange and .State of Vermont, have invented' a new-and ImprovedProjectile, of vwhich the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention has for its object to provide a projectile which isespecially valuable for use against wireless stations, barbed wire andother entanglements, and for destroying air craft.-

The projectile is provided with a body having arms pivoted thereto forextending outwardly when freed, to engage and destroy wireless stations,entanglements and air craft, novel means being used to hold,

the arms close to the body, and for freeing and extending the armsrelatively thereto.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the means for holdingthearms close to the body, that they may be drawn -out of operativeposition, the arms being thereby freed, so that they will move outwardlyimmediately upon `the projectile leaving the gun.

Still other objects of the invention will appear in the followingspecification in which the preferred form of my invention is disclosed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similarreference characwhichters denote similar parts in all the views, in

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional Viewof Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3. of Fig. 2; Fig. 4is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a sectionalview of one of the arms.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that the projectile has abody 5 in which there are lon itudinal .grooves 6, preferably three innum er,- for receiving arms 7 which are pivoted to the -projectile body5 by pins 8, the arms 7 being normally disposed in the grooves 6, asillustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, andthe teeth 9, with which thearms 7 are provided, being disposedin a chamber 10 in the projectile andengaged by an annular rim 11 on a plunger 12 disposed for moving in thechamber 101 This plunger 12 has a stem 13 extending in a guideway 14,and is surrounded by a. spring 15 which -abuts a shoulder 16 in theprojectile at one arms 7 in their grooves 6 and against the ac-V tion ofsprings 18, which serve to extend the arms 7 when the teeth 9 are freedfrom the plungers rim-11.

It will be seen that with the construction which has been described, theprojectile may be introduced into ay gun and be fired, and that the arms7 will remain in their grooves 6 until the plunger 12 moves forwardly.As a means of moving the plunger forwardly at a predetermined time, therear of the projectile is sealed. by a plug 19 which has a screw-threadmeshing with a screw-thread 20 in the body of the projectile, this plug19 carrying a fuse 21 leading to a detonating'cap 22, .it being possibleto.

adjust the length of the fuse 21 so that the cap 22 will be explodedafter a prede-l termined interval has elapsed 'after the gun has beenfired, so that the gases lfrom the cap 22 at a certain period in theprojectiles flight will expand, and the pressure will act against theplunger 12 toY move the plunger 12 forward, thereby freeing the arms 7,so thatV they may be lthrown outwardly by the leaf springs 18, theseleaf springs 18 being secured by means of screws 23 yto the body 5 ofthe projectile. The movement of the arms 7, when their teeth 9 are freedfrom the annular rim 11, is limited by their shoulders 24, which strikeagainst the seats 25 in the body 5, to check the further outwardmovement of the arms 7, the said arms 7 being preferably provided withrows of teeth 26 at their forward edges for striking and tearing'wireless apparatus, barbed wire, and other entanglements, and aircraft.

In certain cases it may be important that the arms 7 move outwardlyrelatively to the body of the projectile immediately on the projectileleaving the gun; and in order to accomplish this result, I provide thestud 17 on the plunger 12 with a bayonet slot 29, in which is disposed apin 30 which extends inwardly from the body of the casing 5. It willtherefore be seen that after the plug 19 is removed, the plunger may bepressed against the resiliency of the spring 15 by the insertion of ascrew driver in a slot 31 in the the plunger 12, and the.

.the said springs 18 will serve to throw the arms 7 outwardly. f

The body 5 of the projectile is preferably provided with a band 27,which is disposed in a groove may be riied as desired to give theprojectile the necessary rotary movement to assure its correct positionduringlight.

My projectile is constructed of very few and simple parts, and the arms7 are freed by means which can not be damaged by the firing of theprojectile, and the said arms are moved. outwardly by simple means whichare certain in their operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A projectile having a chamber and longitudinally extending .groovesin its outer sides, arms normally disposed inthe grooves `and pivoted attheir rear ends to the projectile, there being an axial guide- Wayextending from the chamber, a plunger movably disposed iny the chamberand normally disposed in its rear position where it engages the armsadjacent their pivots, thereby holding the arms inclosed position,resilient means in the axial guideway for holding ,the plunger in normalposition, and means for moving the plunger forwardly.

2. A rojectile having a chamber and longitudinally extending grooves inits outer sides, arms normally disposed in the grooves and pivoted attheir rear ends to the projectile, there being an axial guidewayextending forwardly in the projectile from the chamber, posed in thechamber and having a stem disposed in the guideway, the plunger beingnormally disposed rearwardly where it engages the arms adjacent theirpivots for holding the arms in closed position, a'spring disposed in theguideway around the stem for holding the plunger in its rear position,

28 Yin the body 5, and which' forwardly in the projectile a plungermovably disand means for moving the plunger for wardly.

3. A projectile, a plunger movably disposed in the projectile, an armarticulated to the projectile and normally held in a predeterminedposition relatively to the projectile for engagement by the plunger, thearm being free to lmove relatively .to the projectile upon the movementof the plungerv to a predetermined position relatively to theprojectile, and means for locking the plunger out of engagement with thearm.

4. A projectile having a chamber, an arm articulated to the projectile,a plunger no1'- mally engaging the arm to hold the arm in positionrelatively to the projectile and movable under an increase of pressureto free the arm for movement relatively to the projectile, and means onthe projectile against which the plunger may be moved for holding theplunger out of contact with the arm.

5. A projectile having a chamber, an arm articulated to the projectile,a plunger normally engaging the arm to hold the arm in positionrelatively to the projectile and movable under an increase of pressurein the chamber to free the arm for movement relatively to theprojectile, the plunger having a bayonet slot, and a pin .on theprojectile disposed in the bayonet slot, so that the plunger may bemoved out of engagement with the arm, and may be turned, thereby lockingthe plunger in inoperative position.

6. A projectile having a chamber, an arm articulated to the projectile,a plunger nor-' mally engaging the arm to hold the arm in positionrelatively to the projectile and movable under .an increase of pressureto free the arm for movement relatively to the projectile, a spring forholding the plunger yieldingly in engagement with the arm, the plungerhaving a bayonet slot, anda pin on the projectile disposed in thebayonet slot, so that the plunger may be moved against the resiliency ofthe spring and out of engagement with the arm, and may be turned,thereby locking the plunger in inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.v

J. C. LARsEN, G. H. EisIsLrE.

